News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-04-28
FARM AND GARDEN.
The Hotbed and How to Make 10
Useful.

Useful.
To those who desire to raise very ear-
ly vegetables the hotbed is indispensa-
bic, but unless it can be faithfully
watched it does not add to the hRppi-
ness of the owner, for to return home
some night to find the young plants.
which had made such splendid progress
as to outstrip those of all the neighbors,
scorched and withered up by the sun of
hot spring day, just because someone
had forgotten to raise the sash to give
the plants cool, fresh air, is very trying
to any mans good nature, and, while he
may cover his outward features with
what looks like smile of sunshine, 1t
will be with an effort so great that it
will wither the interior man and dry up
every fountain that administers to his
personal happiness; therefore if you
cannot faithfully attend to botbed do
not make one; if you can then try to
start right. Do not make the mistake
of digging deep pit for the manHre
and do not use manure that Is cold,
thinking it will heat, for it will not. The
writer knows this by bitter experience.
He once tried to make hotbed by di-
rections he saw in a book, the writer of
which probably thought any fool would
know better than to make such mistakes,
but trying to follow exactly the direct
ions as laid down in the book, the re-
suit was as much of a failure as was
that of the woman who attempted to
make mutton broth by @ recipe and
omitted to put in any mutton, because
it was not stated in the directions that
it was required.
The sashes for hotbed are usually
three feet by six; the frame for the sash
should be three inches wider on the
north than it is on the south side, from
nine to twelve inches is wide enough on
the north side. The frame should be
set very nearly on the top of the ground,
and it is best to have it on the south
side of high, tight board fence; this
will break off the cold winds, and will
also afford protection to the
sash when opened. In making the
hotbed, first dig out abouj six inches of
the earth; then, when the manure is
ready, pack it in somewhat clo4ely from
six to ten inches deep, according to the
season of the year; the earlier in the
season the bed is started the deeper
must be the manure. The manure
should be stable manure, somewhat
coarse and wet, and should be prepared
by pitching it over in heap large
enough to readily heat, and when it gets
quite hot it will be in a cond ton to put
into the hotbed. When well packed
into the frame cover with good, fine gar
den soil about three inches deep. The
top of the soil thus put in should come
up to within three inches of the sash, as
the manure will settle some before the
plants are much above the ground, thus
giving them room enough to grow, and
they will grow better than if the soil be
six inches below the glass when the bed
Is made. The seed should not be plant
ed for several days after the bed Is
made. The soil should have time TO
settle and get warm. If the weather be
cold the sash should be covered a few
days with n straw mat, with q shutter
over the mat. These coverings should
be used cold nights until spring opens.
The moment the young plants appear
above ground the watchful care must
begin, the bed must be regularly wat
cred, even before the seeds start, and
while care must be taken not to keep the
soil too wet, equal care must be taken
not to have it too dry-either Will prove
fatal to the life of seeds or the young
plants; but this work is entirely in the
hands of the gardener, who, with good
common sense and little practice, will
be able to improve in a drenching rain
or protracted drouth which both the
seeds and plants in the open garden are
subject to. At first the sash may be
kept closed, but the moment the young
plants begin to show themselves the
weather must be closely watched, and
on warm, sunny days, as soon as the sun
gets high enough to warm the plants,
the sash must be raised, not more than
an inch at first, and { EN- in the
middle of the day raised higher.
When the weather is warm
enough the sash should, during
the warmest part of the dav, be opened
entirely and fastened to the board fence,
but during March and most of April
care must be taken to very nearly close
the sash as soon as the sun gets low
enough to lose its heating power, but
when the season advances so there is oc-
caslonally warm night the sash may
be only partially closed, except cool
nights, and even then if the bottom heat
continues it is not safe to shut the sash
tight, but it should be raised Just
enough to let out the carbonic acid gas
which the decomposing manure gener-
ntes in large quantities, so large some
times as to kill the plants if no opening
is left for it to escape. A little practice
will enable one to regulate the sash so
as TO air the plants all that is needed,
and also keep them warm. Plants that
are soon to be transported into the open
air should be hardened somewhat in the
bed before being removed; this may be
done by keeping the sash open most of
the time through the day and partially
open during the night two or three
weeks before the plants are to DO trans
planted; unless this is done the plants
will be SO tender that, when set in the
,pen ground, they VIII not grow well. if
hey do not die. Lettuce, radishes and
)eets should be sown in hotbed that is
% hc kept cooler than one where cucum-
'eIs, -IuusHcs and beans ARE to be start
q. Ii is always best TO have two beds,
hat division may be made of other
Iants, those that require the most heat
ut III one bed and those the least in
mother.
While an amateur gardener may not
lake much money from hotbed, if he
so situated that he can attend to it at
ny time in the day and possesses a mind
iat reaches ont III the direction of the
arden, he will get great satisfaction in
atching the early growth of his garden
iants, that is not to be measured by
ollars and cents. A radish full grown
hen his neighhors are sowing the seed,
cucumber full grown when no other
ines in the neighborhoOd have put
nth the first blossom, affords a salts
.ction that richly pays for days of
atchful care. The close observer of
ature delights in aiding her in her efforts
produce human food that is H. -..i
season